Clamshell cooking apparatus having an electronic gap adjustment mechanism

ABSTRACT

A clamshell or two-sided cooking system utilizes an upper platen and a lower platen The upper platen is movable to a non-cook and to a cook position. In the cook position, the upper platen is separated from the lower platen by a gap. The gap can be electronically adjusted for various thicknesses of foodstuffs. Preferably, an electronic adjustment mechanism is located within the upper platen assembly. The adjustment mechanism utilizes a stepper motor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/843,770, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,234 titled "Two-Sided Cooking Apparatus Having an Electronic Gap Adjustment Mechanism" filed Apr. 21, 1997 by Robert K. Newton and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a cooking apparatus. More particularly, the present invention is related to a clamshell cooking apparatus or clamshell cooking system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Two-sided cooking apparatus or clamshell cooking systems are capable of simultaneously cooking two sides of various food products, such as, hamburger patties, sausage patties, chicken, or other foodstuffs. Clamshell cooking systems are often utilized in the fast-food industry because they reduce the overall cooking time associated with the foodstuffs, such as, frozen hamburger patties, and the amount of operator attention required for cooking the foodstuffs.

The clamshell cooking system generally includes an upper cooking plate or platen and a lower cooking plate or platen. The upper cooking platen is coupled to a platen support arm for swinging movement between a lower cooking position overlying the lower cooking platen and a raised position inclined upwardly from the lower cooking platen. The upper cooking platen can be manually or automatically moved between the lower cooking position and the raised position.

When the upper cooking platen is in the lower cooking position, it overlies the lower cooking platen and is separated from the lower cooking platen by a gap. The gap is generally set to a distance associated with the thickness of the foodstuff which is being cooked. The gap can be manually or automatically adjusted so that the foodstuff is appropriately cooked between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen.

The gap between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen must be set to accommodate the particular size or thickness of the foodstuff, such as, a hamburger patty, being cooked. For example, hamburger patties are preformed in several different nominal sizes (a quarter pound patty has a larger thickness than a regular patty).

Additionally, the gap must be adjusted during the cooking operation to accommodate the decrease in size of the hamburger patty as it is cooked. Hamburger patties are generally frozen for storage and transportation. The frozen patties are relatively rigid when initially placed on the lower cooking platen, and, if the upper cooking platen rests only on the thickest patty or patties, even small differences in the thickness of the patties in the group being cooked could delay good heat-transmitting contact between the upper platen and some of the thinner patties. Poor heat transmission results in uneven cooking of the patties. Further, the patties often soften and shrink or decrease in thickness as they thaw and cook. The gap must accommodate this change in thickness during the cooking operation.

Further still, the gap must be set so that the hamburger patty is protected from the weight of the upper cooking platen. If the weight of the upper cooking platen is unrestrained or uncontrolled, the upper cooking platen could excessively compress or compact the hamburger patties and adversely affect the texture and appearance of the cooked patties.

Thus, clamshell cooking systems present several special problems related to the adjustment of the gap between the upper and lower cooking platens. These problems include accommodating variations in initial thickness of the individual patties in the group being cooked, accommodating the decrease in thickness of the patties that occurs during cooking, preventing excess compaction of the patties, and accommodating different groups of patties of nominally different thicknesses.

Heretofore, clamshell cooking systems have relied on gravity to force the upper cooking platen onto groups of patties on the lower platen. Platen stops also can be provided to control the minimum spacing (the smallest acceptable spacing or gap) between the upper platen and the lower platen during cooking, thereby preventing excessive compaction of the cooked patties. The platen stops generally had to be manually manipulated to adjust the size of the gap between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen. The use of manually manipulated stop pins is disadvantageous because the stop pins reduce the usable cooking area on the upper and lower platens and make it difficult to clean the upper platen. Further, stop pins which are near or in the cooking area are susceptible to grease and other debris which tended to bake onto the stop pins and to impede their adjustment. Further still, the manual adjustment of the gap can lead to operator error, particularly where several knobs have to be adjusted on a single platen.

In another prior system, the gap can be automatically set by adjusting a cam coupled to the platen support arm. However, the cam and mechanical linkages are exposed to grease and other debris which can impede the adjustment of the gap. Also, the cam is not capable of providing the necessary float to accommodate the variations in thicknesses of patties. Spring-loaded stop pins similar to the pins discussed above are required to provide the necessary float.

Thus, there is a need for a two-sided cooking system which includes an automated gap adjustment mechanism. Further, there is a need for an automatic gap adjustment system which does not rely on stop pins to provide float.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a clamshell cooking system including a support structure, a lower cooking platen assembly, a platen support arm, an upper cooking platen assembly, and an electronic gap adjustment assembly. The lower cooking platen assembly has a top cooking surface and is attached to the support structure. The platen support arm is mounted on the support structure and is movable to a first position and a second position. The upper cooking platen assembly is coupled to the platen support arm and has a bottom cooking surface. The top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface are separated by a gap when the platen support arm is in the first position. The electronic gap adjustment assembly is coupled to the upper platen assembly and adjusts the gap between the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface. The adjustment assembly includes a stepper motor.

The present invention further relates to a clamshell cooking apparatus including a lower cooking platen and an upper cooking platen assembly. The lower cooking platen has a top cooking surface. The upper cooking platen assembly is disposed above the lower cooking platen. The upper cooking platen assembly includes an upper cooking platen having a bottom cooking surface. The upper cooking platen assembly is movable to a lower cooking position and to an upper raised position. The top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface are separated by a gap when the upper platen assembly is in the lower cooking position. The upper cooking platen assembly includes an electronic gap adjustment means for adjusting the gap between the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface. The gap adjustment means provides limited floating of the top cooking surface with respect to the bottom cooking surface.

The present invention even further relates to an improved clamshell cooking apparatus including an upper cooking plate and a lower cooking plate. The upper cooking plate is movable to an upper position and to a lower cooking position. When in the lower cooking position, the upper cooking plate is separated from the lower cooking plate by a gap. The improvement includes an electronic gap adjustment mechanism coupled to the upper cooking plate. The electronic gap adjustment mechanism adjusts the gap between the upper cooking plate and the lower cooking plate. The electronic gap adjustment mechanism includes a stop and a motor. The stop is positioned in response to movements of the motor to define the gap.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a motor sets particular gap sizes for the clamshell cooking apparatus. The motor can be a stepper motor and with a belt drive system, can be capable of reaching precisions of thousandths of an inch. Preferably, a user chooses a particular gap thickness for a particular type of foodstuff by selecting a key on a key pad. The electronic interface reduces operator error associated with manual mechanical adjustments of stop pins.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the stepper motor can be located in the upper platen assembly, thereby eliminating mechanical couplings for gap adjustment between the upper platen assembly and the support structure of the two-sided cooking system. In this way, only wires are required to be coupled into the upper platen assembly, rather than mechanical linkages which are susceptible to grease and other debris associated with the cooking operation. The stepper motor drives a belt which positions a stop. The stop is coupled to the upper platen assembly and contacts the lower platen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements: and

FIG. 1 is a front view of the cooking apparatus having dual upper cooking platen assemblies, with one upper cooking platen in a raised cooking position and the other upper cooking platen in a lower cooking position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective cut-away view of one of the upper cooking platen assemblies illustrated in FIG. 1 in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective cut-away view of one of the upper cooking platen assemblies illustrated in FIG. 1 in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a two-sided cooking system or clamshell grill apparatus 10 includes a ridged support structure 11 having a front 11A and a rear 11B. Structure 11 supports a lower cooking platen 15 formed of a heat-conducting material, such as, a steel plate. Platen 15 can be manufactured from cast aluminum, abrasion-resistent steel, cast iron, stainless steel, mild steel, a ceramic material, a metal material, or other strong heat-conducting medium. Platen 15 is preferably 3/4 of an inch thick, 38 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. Although platen 15 is shown having a rectangular shape, platen 15 can be a variety of shapes and dimensions.

With reference to FIG. 1, two movable upper cooking platen assemblies 25 and 25' are disposed in a side-side relation, each having a width slightly less than one-half of the width of lower cooking platen 15. Upper cooking platen assemblies 25 and 25' are of like construction and of like numerals and are used to designate corresponding parts. Alternatively, a single upper cooking platen (not shown) assembly could be used, and platen assemblies 25 and 25' can take a variety of shapes and sizes.

Each of upper platen assemblies 25 and 25' includes an upper cooking platen 26 formed of heat-conducting material, such as, a cast aluminum plate, abrasion-resistent steel, cast iron, stainless steel, mild steel, a ceramic material, a metal material, or other strong heat-conducting medium. Each of upper cooking platen 26 includes a flat, smooth cooking surface at an underside or bottom cooking surface 28 that communicates with heating elements (not shown). Platen 26 is rectangular, has a width of 16.5 inches, and has a depth of 13 inches. Furthermore, platen 26 can be made of materials similar to platen 15. The materials, shapes, and dimensions associated with upper platen 26 and with lower platen 15 are not given in a limiting fashion. Any type of appropriate heating surface can be utilized.

Platen assemblies 25 and 25' are each mounted on a ridged platen support arm 31 (FIG. 2) for swaying movement about an axis between a lower cooking position (assembly 25' in FIG. 1) and an upper cooking position (assembly 25 in FIG. 1). Support arm 31 is coupled to structure 11. Alternative support arms can be utilized. For example, swivels, pivots, automated systems, or other devices can be utilized to raise and to lower upper platen assemblies 25 and 25' to raised and cook positions.

With reference to FIG. 2, platen assembly 25 is pivotally mounted to structure 11 via platen support arm 31. Platen assembly 25 includes an upper cooking platen 26, a support structure 40, and spring mechanisms 42. Support structure 40 includes a handle or stop abutment 44, a belt drive system or mechanism 46, a stepper motor 48, and a frame 50. Frame 50 of support structure 40 maintains a relationship between drive mechanism 46, stepper motor 48, and abutment 44. Abutment 44 and motor 48 are fixed to frame 50. Drive mechanism 46 engages motor 48 and is in flexible engagement with frame 50.

Abutment 44 preferably has an end 52 which rests on an upper cooking surface of lower platen 15 when assembly 25 is in the lower cooking position. Abutment 44 provides a mechanical stop which defines a gap between upper cooking platen 26 and lower cooking platen 15 when assembly 25 is in the lower cooking position. End 52 of abutment 44 extends beyond surface 28 of platen 26 by the distance defined by the position of motor 48 which is the minimal acceptable gap distance for the particular setting.

Each belt drive system 46 includes a belt 60, a belt 62, a cam 64, a rotational bearing 66, and a rotational bearing 68. Bearings 66 and 68 are coupled to frame 50. Belt 62 has an end 70 fixed to a platen support 72, which is fixed to platen 26. Similarly, belt 60 has an end 74 fixed to platen support 72, which is fixed to platen 26. Therefore, belts 60 and 62 of mechanism 46 are linked to support structure 40 by cam 64 and by motor 48 and are further linked to platen 26 by platen support 72. Additionally, platen support 72 is linked to support 40 by spring mechanisms 42. Spring mechanisms 42 are preferably biased outwardly to push support 40 away from platen support 72.

Drive mechanism 46 moves abutment 44 with respect to platen support 72 to define the gap between upper platen 26 and lower platen 15. Drive mechanism 46 adjusts the distance associated with the gap by turning cam 64 to preselected positions. As cam 64 is turned counter clockwise when viewed from the end of assembly 25 associated with stop 44, belts 60 and 62 pull platen support 72 closer towards structure 40, thereby widening the gap between end 52 of abutment 44 and platen 26 (e.g., widening the gap between platen 26 and platen 15). When motor 48 turns cam 64 clockwise, belts 60 and 62 allow platen support 72 to be further separated from structure 40, thereby narrowing the gap between platen 26 and platen 15. Gravity and spring mechanisms 42 assure that platen support 72 is fully separated from support 40 to the distance set by the position of cam 64. Cam 64 preferably has a generally circular shape with two flat sides to more precisely position abutment 44.

Belts 60 and 62 preferably do not require lubrication and are durable non-stretching ribbons of steel. Alternatively, belts 60 and 62 can be kevlar fibers, links, cables, chains, or other belt structures. Belts 60 and 62 preferably provide an inherent float (slight flexing) which allows for the gap to be inherently adjusted for minor differences in thicknesses of foodstuffs, such as, hamburger patties. In this embodiment, belts 60 and 62 are perpendicularly situated with respect to tubes 92. Further, the float allows the gap to accommodate the changing size of the hamburger patty as it is cooked. Thus, mechanism 46 does not require spring-loaded stops to provide the necessary float for cooking operations.

Drive mechanism 46 and motor 48 are advantageously located within upper platen assembly 25, so mechanical links do not have to be made from structure 11 to upper platen assembly 25. Preferably, only electronic cables need to be provided to a user interface 80 (FIG. 1) for setting the appropriate gap. Stepper motor 48 is preferably microprocessor controlled and provides precision positioning of cam 64. Cables from interface 80 are preferably provided through tubes 92 of structure 40.

Drive mechanism 46 is preferably coupled at four points near corners of platen 26. Motor 48 is situated between a set of belts and includes two cams coupled to each set.

An operator using interface 80, which is preferably a key pad, presses buttons to select individual gap settings for system 10. For example, the user can select a gap setting for a thick hamburger, a thin hamburger, or other foods. Additionally, a reset or home setting is preferably provided where platens 26 and 15 are separated to a maximum gap distance. Preferably, every time assemblies 25 and 25' are brought to the cooking position or the gap distance is changed via interface 80, system 10 separates platens 26 and 15 to the maximum gap distance (home position). After the home position is reached, platens 26 and 15 are brought closer together in accordance with the selection made on interface 80. In this way, motor 48 and system 10 are ensured that previous positioning errors are not duplicated by moving from one selected position to another selected position without first resetting to the home position. Preferably, upon loss of power, motor 48 automatically resets to the home position, thereby preventing assemblies 25 and 25' from being locked in a lower gap setting in the event of a malfunction.

With reference to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment to platen assembly 25 (FIG. 2) is platen assembly 125, which can be pivotally mounted to structure 11 via platen support arm 131. Platen assembly 125 includes an upper cooking platen 126, and a support structure 140. Support structure 140 includes a handle or stop abutment 144, a belt drive system or mechanism 146, and a stepper motor 148. Abutment 144 and motor 148 are fixed to frame 150. Drive mechanism 146 engages motor 148 and is in flexible engagement with frame 150.

Abutment 144 preferably has an end 152 which rests on an upper cooking surface of lower platen 15 (FIG. 1) when assembly 125 is in the lower cooking position. Abutment 144 provides a mechanical stop which defines a gap between upper cooking platen 126 and lower cooking platen 15 when assembly 125 is in the lower cooking position. End 152 of abutment 144 extends beyond surface 128 of platen 126 by the distance defined by the position of motor 148 which is the minimal acceptable gap distance for the particular setting.

Each belt drive mechanism 146 includes a belt 160, a belt 162, a cam 164, and a rotational bearing 166. Bearing 166 is coupled to frame 150. Belt 162 has an end 170 fixed to platen support 172 via coupling 173, which is fixed to platen 126. Similarly, belt 160 has an end 174 fixed to platen support 172 via coupling 173, which is fixed to platen 126. Therefore, belts 160 and 162 of mechanism 146 are linked to support structure 140 by cam 164 and by motor 148 and are further linked to platen 126 by platen support 172. Additionally, platen support 172 is linked to support 140 by spring mechanisms 142. Spring mechanisms 142 are preferably biased outwardly to push support 140 away from platen support 172. Couplings 173 can also include spring mechanisms 142. Alternatively, other devices can bias support 140 away from support 172.

Drive mechanism 146 moves abutment 144 with respect to platen support 172 to define the gap between upper platen 126 and lower platen 15. Drive mechanism 146 adjusts the distance associated with the gap by turning cam 164 to preselected positions. As cam 164 is turned clockwise when viewed from the right side of assembly 125, belts 160 and 162 pull the platen support 172 closer towards structure 140, thereby widening the gap between end 152 of abutment 144 and platen 126 (e.g., widening the gap between platen 126 and platen 15). When motor 148 turns cam 164 counterclockwise, belts 160 and 162 allow platen support 172 to be further separated from structure 140, thereby narrowing the gap between platen 126 and platen 15. Gravity and spring mechanisms 142 assure that platen support 172 is fully separated from support 140 to the distance set by the position of cam 164. Cam 164 preferably has a generally circular shape with two flat sides to more precisely position abutment 144.

Belts 160 and 162 preferably do not require lubrication and are durable non-stretching ribbons of steel. Alternatively, belts 160 and 162 can be kevlar fibers, links, cables, chains, or other belt structures. Belts 160 and 162 preferably provide an inherent float (slight flexing) which allows for the gap to be inherently adjusted for minor differences in thicknesses of foodstuffs, such as, hamburger patties. In this embodiment, belts 160 and 162 are situated parallel with respect to tubes 192. Further, the float allows the gap to accommodate the changing size of the hamburger patty as it is cooked. Thus, mechanism 146 does not require spring-loaded stops to provide the necessary float for cooking operations.

Drive mechanism 146 and motor 148 are advantageously located within upper platen assembly 125, so mechanical links do not have to be made from structure 11 to upper platen assembly 125. Preferably, only electronic cables need to be provided to a user interface 80 (FIG. 1) for setting the appropriate gap. Stepper motor 148 is preferably microprocessor controlled and provides precision positioning of cam 164. Cables from interface 80 are preferably provided through tubes 192 of structure 140.

Drive mechanism 146 is preferably coupled at four points near corners of platen 126. Motor 148 is situated between a set of belts and includes two cams coupled to each set.

An operator using interface 80, which is preferably a key pad, presses buttons to select individual gap settings for system 10. For example, the user can select a gap setting for a thick hamburger, a thin hamburger, or other foodstuffs. Additionally, a reset or home setting is preferably provided where platens 126 and 15 are separated to a maximum gap distance. Preferably, every time assemblies 123 and 123' are brought to the cooking position of the gap distance is changed via interface 80, system 10 separates platens 126 and 15 to the maximum gap distance (home position). After the home position is reached, platens 126 and 15 are brought closer together in accordance with the selection made on interface 80. In this way, motor 148 and system 10 are ensured that previous positioning errors are not duplicated by moving from one selected position to another selected position without first resetting to the home position. Preferably, upon loss of power, motor 148 automatically resets to the home position, thereby preventing assemblies 125 and 125' from being locked in a lower gap setting in the event of a malfunction.

It is understood that, while the detailed drawings, specific examples, and particular component values given provide a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is for the purpose of illustration only. The apparatus of the invention is not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed. Further, although a particular clamshell-type cooking apparatus is shown, other cooking apparatuses using an upper and a lower plate could utilize the adjustment mechanism of the present invention. Various changes may be made to the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A clamshell cooking system, comprising:a support structure; a lower cooking platen assembly having a top cooking surface, the lower cooking platen assembly being attached to the support structure; a platen support arm pivotally mounted on the support structure, the platen support arm being movable to a first position and a second position; an upper cooking platen assembly coupled to the platen support arm and having a bottom cooking surface, the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface being separated by a gap when the platen support arm is in the first position; and an electronic gap adjustment assembly coupled to the upper platen assembly, the electronic gap adjustment assembly adjusting the gap between the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface, the electronic gap adjustment assembly including a stepper motor.
 2. The clamshell cooking system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment assembly is located within the upper cooking platen assembly.
 3. The clamshell cooking system of claim 2, wherein the adjustment assembly includes a belt drive system coupled to the stepper motor.
 4. The clamshell cooking system of claim 3, wherein the belt drive system includes a plurality of cams coupled to a plurality of belts.
 5. The clamshell cooking system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment assembly includes a stop abutment coupled to the belt drive system, the stop abutment being in contact with the top cooking surface when the platen support arm is in the first position, wherein the belt drive system moves the stop abutment to adjust the gap.
 6. The clamshell cooking system of claim 5, wherein the adjustment assembly includes a plurality of spring mechanisms, the spring mechanisms being fixed between the belt drive system and the bottom cooking surface.
 7. A clamshell cooking apparatus, comprising:a lower cooking platen having a top cooking surface; an upper cooking platen assembly disposed above the lower cooking platen, the upper cooking platen assembly including an upper cooking platen having a bottom cooking surface, the upper cooking platen assembly being movable to a lower cooking position and to an upper raised position, the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface being separated by a gap when the upper platen assembly is in the lower cooking position, and wherein the upper cooking platen assembly includes an electronic gap adjustment means for adjusting the gap between the top cooking surface and the bottom cooking surface, whereby the gap adjustment means provides limited floating of the top cooking surface with respect to the bottom cooking surface.
 8. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gap adjustment means includes a belt assembly located within the upper cooking platen assembly.
 9. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein the belt assembly includes a chain, belt, cable, band, or cord.
 10. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein the belt assembly includes a plurality of cams coupled to a plurality of belts.
 11. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gap adjustment means includes a stepper motor.
 12. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gap adjustment means includes a stop abutment, the stop abutment being in contact with the top cooking surface when the upper platen assembly is in the lower cooking position, and wherein the adjustment means moves the stop abutment to adjust the gap.
 13. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 12, wherein the gap adjustment means includes a plurality of spring mechanisms, the spring mechanisms being fixed between a belt drive system and the upper cooking platen.
 14. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the cams is generally circular with a plurality of flat sides.
 15. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 8, wherein the belt assembly includes a plurality of belts, each belt being coupled to a cam and to a fixed position on the upper cooking platen.
 16. A clamshell cooking apparatus including an upper cooking plate and a lower cooking plate, the upper cooking plate being movable to an upper position and a lower cooking position, the upper cooking plate being separated from the lower cooking plate by a gap when in the lower cooking position, the improvement comprising:an electronic gap adjustment mechanism coupled to the upper cooking plate, the electronic gap adjustment mechanism adjusting the gap between the upper cooking plate and the lower cooking plate, the electronic gap adjustment mechanism including a stop and a motor, wherein the stop is positioned in response to movements of the motor to define the gap.
 17. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 16, wherein the motor is mechanically coupled to the stop through a drive mechanism, the drive mechanism includes a chain, belt, cable, band, or cord.
 18. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 17, wherein the stop is in contact with the lower cooking plate when the upper cooking plate is in the lower cooking position.
 19. The clamshell cooking apparatus of claim 18, wherein the gap adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of spring mechanisms, the spring mechanisms being mechanically coupled between the stop and the upper cooking plate.
 20. The clamshell apparatus of claim 17, wherein the drive mechanism includes a first belt coupled between a cam and a first point on the upper cooking plate and a second belt coupled between the cam and a second point on the upper cooking plate, the first point being on a first side, the second point being on a second side, and the cam being between the first point and the second point. 